Seedless grapevine named ‘ARDFORTYONE’

ABSTRACT

A new distinct variety of grapevine named ‘ARDFORTYONE’ abundantly forms attractive meaty seedless berries with a black skin coloration, lax small clusters which display a natural flavor, the fruit commonly is ready for harvesting during June in San Joaquin Valley of Central California, U.S.A, and displays good eating qualities as a table grape as the fruit firmness renders the fruit well amenable for handling, shipping, and storage.

Classification: The present invention relates to a new Vitis vinifera Grapevine.

Variety denomination: The new Grapevine has a varietal denomination ‘ARDFORTYONE’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A breeding program was initiated during the late 1990's near Bakersfield in San Joaquin Valley of Central California. In 2013, during this breeding program, a new variety of Vitis vinifera was created by deliberate cross breeding of two parent plants by emasculation of the pollen bearing organ of the female and introducing pollen from another male origin. The female parent of the new variety was 8-7+7, which is a red natural sweet flavored variety with very good berry attachment (non-patented in the United States). The male parent (i.e. the pollen parent) of the new variety was 10-20+4, a black variety with large berries and a natural taste (non-patented in the United States).

TABLE 1 ‘ARDFORTYONE’ compared with parents & closely related variety: Summer Royal (non- ‘ARDFORTYONE’ 8-7+7 10-20+4 patented) Berry skin Thin Thin Medium Medium Berry Obtuse ovoid Broad Ovoid Round - Oval shape ellipsoid Cap stem/ Medium/Medium Thin/Long Medium/ Thin/Long brush Medium

The parentage of the new variety can be summarized as follows: 8-7+7 X 10-20+4

An artificial pollination was created, and the result was an embryo which possessed unique genetic qualities. The rudiments resulting from the above pollination were embryo rescued.

In 2014 the plant was transplanted to Bakersfield in San Joaquin Valley of Central California.

It was found that the new grapevine of the present invention possesses the following combination of characteristics:

-   -   (a) Forms attractive meaty seedless berries with a black skin         coloration; in lax small clusters, which display a natural         flavor,     -   (b) Commonly bears fruit during the month of June in the San         Joaquin Valley of Central California, U.S.A., and     -   (c) Bears fruit that is firm and is well amenable for storage,         handling, and shipping.     -   (d) Produces 88 bunches per vine, and an average of about 2         bunches per shoot, at a total of 73 lbs. fruit per vine.

The new variety during observation to date has displayed no visible disease, and has displayed an ability to well resist cold, drought, heat; but sensitive to direct exposure to sun and wind. The fruit of the new variety has been found to display excellent handling and shipping qualities combined with desirable dessert eating qualities.

The new variety of the present invention has been found to undergo asexual propagation beginning in 2015 near Bakersfield in the San Joaquin Valley of Central California, U.S.A. by bud grafting on mature Thompson rootstock (non-patented in the United States). Such asexual propagation has been conducted thereafter in successive years to date and has shown that the characteristics of the new variety are strictly transmissible from one generation to another. Accordingly, the new variety undergoes asexual propagation in a true to type manner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new variety ‘ARDFORTYONE’ is a black seedless table grape with a high production, e.g., about 88 bunches per vine, and an average of about 2 bunches per shoot.

Asexual reproduction by micro propagation of the new variety as performed near Bakersfield, Calif., U.S.A., shows that the forgoing and other distinguishing characteristics come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying photographic illustration shows typical six-year-old specimens of the new variety, vegetatively propagated, in color as nearly true as it is reasonably possible to make in a color illustration of this character. Colors in the photograph may differ from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description below, which accurately describes the colors of the new Grapevine.

The drawing shows leaves, stems and grapes of ARDFORTYONE.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The chart used in the identification of colors is The R.H.S. Colour Chart of The ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY (3^(rd) Edition). The description is based on the observation of plants growing on ‘Thompson Seedless’ rootstock outdoors near San Joaquin Valley of Central California, U.S.A.

VINE CHARACTERISTICS: vigor Vigorous upright shoots productive capacity Bearing at a natural, average capacity. Spur pruning. trunk Strong and developed. Diameter is 3.7 inches, measured at 4.7 inches above ground. Rough with a fibrous, shaggy exterior. Light maple brown coloring (greyed orange 177C)

Date of bud burst in Bakersfield Calif.: February 23^(rd)

YOUNG SHOOT CHARACTERISTICS: Openness of tip fully open Density of prostrate hairs on tip dense Anthocyanin coloration of prostrate none (yellow green 152A) hairs on tip Density of erect hairs on tip very dense

YOUNG LEAF CHARACTERISTICS: Color of upper side of blade yellow green 152A Color of lower sidc of blade yellow green 152B Density of erect hairs between main absent or very sparse veins on upper side of blade Density of erect hairs between main absent or very sparse veins on lower side of blade Density of prostrate hairs on main absent or very sparse veins on upper side of blade Density of prostrate hairs on main medium veins on lower side of blade

SHOOT CHARACTERISTICS: Attitude (before tying) erect Color of dorsal side of internodes yellow green 144A Color of ventral side of internodes yellow green 146B Color of dorsal side of nodes yellow green 152A Color of ventral side of nodes yellow green 144A Density of erect hairs on internodes absent or very sparse Density of prostrate hairs on absent or very sparse internodes Length of tendrils 4.1 inches Diameter of tendrils 0.07 inches Color of tendrils yellow green 152B Number of tendrils at bloom 3 Positioning of first flowering and The first bunch is in the 3rd node fruiting node Inflorescence number per flowering 2 shoot

FLOWER CHARACTERISTICS: Reproductive organs Fully developed stamens developed gynoecium and fully Flower length 0.33 inches Flower diameter 0.18 inches Pistil length 0.14 inches Pistil color yellow green 144A Pollen Amount rich Pollen color yellow 8A Stamen color yellow green 145C Stamen length 0.13 inches Number of stamen 6

First bloom in Bakersfield, Calif.: April 28^(th)

Date of full bloom in Bakersfield, Calif.: May 3^(rd)

MATURE LEAF CHARACTERISTICS: Size of blade 6.5 × 6.5 inches Shape of blade wedge-shaped Base descriptors pentagonal Leaf margin serrate Leaf apex acute Blistering of upper side of blade absent or very sparse Depth of upper lateral sinuses shallow Number of lobes five (Only varieties with lobed leaves) closed Arrangement of lobes of upper lateral sinuses Arrangement of lobes of petiole half open sinus Length of teeth 0.46 inches Ratio length/width of teeth medium Shape of teeth mixture of both sides straight and both sides convex Density of prostrate hairs between absent or very sparse main veins on lower side of blade Density of erect hairs on main veins absent or very sparse on lower side of blade Density of erect hairs between the absent or very sparse main veins on upper side of blade Density of prostrate hairs on main absent or very sparse veins on upper side of blade Length of petiole compared to moderately longer length of middle vein Top side color green 137A Bottom side color yellow green 146B Texture of upper side of blade smooth Texture of lower side of blade rough Vein color on upper blade yellow green 146C Vein color on lower blade yellow green 145C Venation pattern for upper blade netlike venation Venation patten for lower blade netlike venation Petiole length 6.35 inches Petiole diameter 0.14 inches Petiole color yellow green 146D Petiole texture smooth

Date of beginning of berry ripening in Bakersfield Calif.: May 28^(th)

BUNCH CHARACTERISTICS: Size (peduncle excluded) small Density of berries on bunch lax Bunch length 6.5 inches Bunch diameter 5.5 inches Length of peduncle of primary bunch 5 inches Diameter of peduncle of primary 0.13 inches bunch Peduncle of primary bunch color yellow green 152D Peduncle texture smooth Bunches per vine 88 Average bunch weight 0.83Ibs

BERRY CHARACTERISTICS: Size small Length 1 inch Weight 0.2 oz Diameter 0.78 inches Shape obtuse ovoid Color of skin (without bloom) black 202 Flesh color greyed green 190D Brix 17 Titrabable acidity percentage 0.22% Juice 4.25 pH Ease of detachment from pedicel moderately easy Thickness of skin medium Anthocyanin coloration of flesh none Firmness of flesh very firm Particular flavor none Formation of seeds rudimentary Berries per bunch 91

PEDICEL CHARACTERISTICS: Length 0.3 inches Diameter 0.06 inches Color yellow green 146C Pedicel texture rough

WOODY SHOOT CHARACTERISTICS: Woody shoot texture rough Woody shoot color greyed orange 166D Woody shoot length 120 inches Diameter 0.42 inches Internode length 4.7 inches

Market use of observed plants: Fresh market

AGE AND GROWING CONDITIONS

Six years growing under Y system in South Joaquin Valley in hot, dry summers.

SHIPPING CHARACTERISTICS

Fruit was in cold storage. Stored in poly bags inside Styrofoam boxes with sulfur pads. After 60 Days: rachises were 75% green; 1% berry shattering; no berry wrinkling or cracks were apparent.

DNA PROFILE

To further the characterize the new variety DNA was extracted from plant samples and a DNA profile was obtained at California Seed & Plant Lab, California USA using base pairs for 10 standard microsatellite DNA markers. The data is presented hereafter.

TABLE 2 DNA profile for ‘ARDFORTYONE’ Microsatellite DNA Marker Allele Sizes in Base Pairs M1 232 240 M2 239 249 M3 179 194 M4 212 212 M5 251 273 M6 133 145 M7 189 201 M8 255 257 M9 212 212  M10 237 247

The ‘ARDFORTYONE’ variety has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions to date. Accordingly, it is possible that the phenotypic expression may vary somewhat with changes in light intensity and duration, cultural practices, and other environmental conditions.

Additional information relating to plant and fruit disease and pest resistance or susceptibility has not been observed to date. Specification of the plant hardiness zone and the heat/cold resistance has not been observed to date. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct grapevine, botanically known as Vitis vinifera, identified as ‘ARDFORTYONE’, substantially as shown and described herein. 